A Tail of Love
by Mizu falls from Kumo
Summary: The sequel to A Cat Ear for Music. I shouldn't be this close, but I can't help it. Three years after the fire, three years of pain, three long years of watching, maybe its time for the truth. Rated T for safety.
1. Three years later

_-squel- Look its the Sequel, O_O, I knows right. Any who thank everyone for supproting me when I was writing A Cat Ear for Music, I really appropriate it. And for those who spread the word about it thanks. _

_I disown everything, except the storyline  
_

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I did it for her, so she could have a normal life and I would be some distant person in her life. She needed someone normal, someone safer. I wasn't any of the two, though most of the threat that was after me gave up, but that still didn't mean I wasn't a threat. At the time I decided it was better to be that way, but a little part didn't give up on her just like how I don't want.

I don't remember what happened, just the flames and pain from the crumbling building. Yet I woke up with nothing, nothing other then burned, dusty clothes, and in the middle of some field on the end of town. I don't know what I was thinking at the time, but I stayed there for a while, hiding out in the trees for a good week or so. I found Yoru the second day; he wasn't so giving on information at all.

Time pasted, another week really, before I figured checking up on her was best. She was unharmed, physically that was, but I could tell there was a part missing…me. It was the stupidest thing I could have done, cause from that day on I stayed close, hiding in the shadows. She made life miserable, hiding was unbearable, I want to just pop out of no where and tease her like always. It was stalkerish, but it was something I needed to do, I needed to see her get over me before I moved on and left her.

Three years passed and she didn't get over, she tried, and she tried hard, but it didn't work. However her first boyfriend since the fire, was right, we couldn't get over each other. I was to close to her again, it was torture, just watching her and having no power over what happens. I played my violin, which was magically saved, for her when she was restless or worried, she would sometimes go looking and I had to hide, making her painfully think it was in her head.

Tonight though I was way to close, way cross where I had driven the line three or so years ago. I was in her apartment, or townhouse, or whatever you wanted to call it. However to be specific I was in her room, by her bed, way to close for my liking. If she woke up without warning I was screwed. She had cried herself to sleep, still her in clothes from the day before. She had gone to see the Kiddy King; he plainly told her the reality of her situation and that she best move on.

Her pink hair was still up in ponytail, she was hugging a pillow around her middle, resting her head on another one. She remembered to kick her shoes off; her black stockings were still on though. Her breathing was soft, despite what the sobbing had been before. She was semi curling into a ball, occasionally she would pull closer or stretch out, maybe mumble a few uncatchable words.

I ran my hand along her hair, without really realizing what I was doing. She made a face and moved her head around about; I froze, and pulled away. I didn't hide; I just sat there and watched her, coming to eye level with her on the floor. Slowly her eyes opened, the goldenness looking at me with sleep, I didn't move, frozen by the closeness.

"Ikuto?" Her voice was dripping with sleep and with luck I could talk her back to sleep and make her thing it was all a dream. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting." I whispered, getting close to her. "I'm sorry for waking you, go back to sleep."

"But the fire…and…you…" I didn't know if she was talking about life or a dream.

"I know…I know." I said petting her hair again.

"You promised…."

"I know, I'm sorry." I drew closer, letting my hair tickle her face. "Go back to sleep."

"Ikuto…I'm dreaming aren't I?" She asked sleep grabbing hold over her again.

I gripped the covers of her bed, I leaned close to her ear, intoxicating her with more dreamlike reality, or to her at least. "Yes…Amu…You are." I whispered, hating every word that spilled.

"Why are you here?" She said as sleep took her once again.

"Cause I can't stay away." I breathed in her ear, before straightening up. I planted a soft kiss on her forehead and turned to leave. I opened her window and jumped out into the night, making myself feel pain for not staying safely away.

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Amu's alarm woke her, yet sleep wasn't willing to uncurl itself from her. She sat up in her bed; she could feel the cool floor beneath her feet. She walked over to her desk, turning off her alarm clock with a yawn. She stretched slightly, before remembering the day was Saturday and she didn't have any classes. It was a crappy way to wake up on a day she hoped would be better then the day before.

It came to her slowly; everything was fine before she went out to dinner with her friends. Seeing Utau had never done her any good, she knew Utau was blood to him, so she could never really be all that happy around her. Her friends seemed to become rather feed up with her gloomy attitude for three years, and figured telling her the plain truth would help her get over it. Tadase seemed to think that at least, her other friends merely watched wordlessly, maybe a nod or a word here and there but nothing other than that.

She had come home in a teary mess, escaping right to her room, and flopping on her bed. She still hadn't really told people about her relationship with him. Utau figured they were closer then they should have been, but other than that she didn't know. It didn't help that she dreamed of him either, having a dream with within the dream. She had seen him, merely stuck in the flames, almost accepting what they were bring him. She had called for him to come back, but his tail merely danced and he walked farther away.

Then he was there in her room, watching her like he always did, seating on the floor like a kid with nothing else to do. His ears had twitched with movement. He didn't answer her questions like she would have wanted him too, and he had made her topple back into the dream of him and the fire. She commented on the weirdness of the dream, feeling her cat rub against her leg.

"Morning, Yonaka." She greeted, kneeling down to pet her black fur. She picked her up and strolled out of her room and to the kitchen. Yonaka meowed hungrily, jumping down from Amu's arms to the counter and over to her bowl. Amu smiled slightly, feeding her. Yonaka was in a way like Ikuto, aside from being a cat.

Amu walked over to the TV and flicked on, mainly so she could see what he weather was like. She ignored most of the news, listening to the things that only caught her ear, like some little kid being found and some criminal being locked away for good. Something about the Easter Fire made her stop and listen, turning around with her bowl of breakfast.

"After three long years, it seemed the cause of the Easter Fire as been discovered." The anchor said in an all business like voice. "It seems there were flammable chemicals in the basement, and some how, or someone ignited them. However officials have little clue who or what, and the former members want more then just that." The anchor turned to other news, and Amu stood there frozen.

Had Ikuto started the fire and stayed behind? Or had he possibly been trapped and then the chemicals were lit? She was shaking at the thought of both, that fact that Ikuto could have run away from her, with reasons she would never know. The fact that he could have possibly tried to get away but all together failed, it was something she would never know, but she wanted to. If Ikuto came again she was asking.

Yonaka's meow took her from her thoughts, and Amu smiled again, petting the cats head. A cool breezed raced past her and she turned to the source. The window in her main area was open, and she titled her head slightly in wonder. She didn't remember it being open before, and she remembered shutting it early the day before, for it had been pouring rain.

"Was the window…open…all night?" She asked, and Yonaka gave a hiss like meow, Amu really didn't think anything of it and quickly left to close it.

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_Please RxR, thanks_


	2. The guy in Amu's house

_Sorry it took so long to update, I've been busy with stuff, stupid homework and stuff like that. However I finally finished writing this chapter, you'd be suprised how long I put it off much less left it at a weird point. Also I was working on one of my Original stories (it doesn't really have a title yet, and it's bothering me) and its coming along quiet nicely, chapter 9 if I may say so._

_Any way, like always I disown everything, except the story line, which I hope will get interesting.  
_

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It seemed only to Amu's luck that Utau had worried about her. It was fine for the first year when Amu was back home, mainly because she wouldn't try anything, then she moved out. Utau seemed to know when things bothered her and she would be at her house at around noon, along with Kukai and they were treating her to a day of whatever. Course Friday night had placed Amu in the dumps, and Utau and Kukai had clearly seen it, Utau was going to treat her more then a day of whatever.

Noon came knocking along with Utau not to far behind, Kukai had stayed him, not wanting to get caught up in their shopping. Utau was treating Amu to a day of shopping, then taking her home and cooking her a nice dinner, maybe watch a movie. During the movie Amu would probably fall to sleep, or zone out and Utau and Kukai could sneak away from her and scurry over to her house and get her some clothes.

Just like Utau had planned, everything went like it should, Amu didn't fall asleep, but she did agree not to try anything. They drove to her apartment; Amu gave them a key a year back, after they insisted on it when her roommates graduated. Kukai was always the first on in when no one was home and they came, it was just that away in case someone was in there. Amu's former roommates hide a baseball bat in the umbrella holder, they forgot about it, but Amu seemed to find it comforting.

They opened the door, but didn't flick a light on, no one was in there, but it was chilly just like the air outside. Kukai turned to find a window open, Yonaka was really no where in sight, but she was making a horrible noise. She was never a cat that liked people she didn't know, but Kukai and Utau had gotten her for Amu, so she was fine with them. Someone was in the house who shouldn't be.

Kukai's hand found the bat handle, and he slowly drew it out, Utau grabbed an umbrella and made her way towards the window as Kukai inched towards the kitchen. Yonaka was in the moonlight coming from the window in the kitchen, hissing and meowing at something in the shadows. She turned to Kukai who looked up from her at the sight of the very tips of the shoes of someone. Moonlight had just caught the person's eyes, they were catlike and blue.

He lunged forward at whoever was in the shadows, the figure took a step back, dodging the bat, cause it to hit the counter hard. Kukai swung again, a hissed curse left their lips as they dodged again. Kukai brought the bat down again; the figure stopped it, as well as Kukai's battle cry, or treats he was blurting out. There was a chuckle, and the moonlight was still hitting the cat like eyes just right so he could see them.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Kukai demanded, no answer. "Answer the question!" Still nothing, just narrowed eyes. Something fell from the counter and Kukai turned, was there another, it was something he soon regretted doing. The bat was ripped from his hand as were his feet, and the figure ran off, magically avoiding the moonlight.

"Stop right there!" Utau snapped holding the pointed part of the umbrella at the figure that came out of the kitchen. The figure hissed another curse; they had him trapped, just like they wanted. Kukai came out of the kitchen, getting the bat the figure had dropped.

"Ha ha, looks like you're trapped." Kukai said, he was right by the needed switch, he heard a grunted from the figure.

"What cat got your tongue?" Utau said with a smirk, as the lights flickered on. The bat fell to the floor, as did the umbrella, both were shaking.

There was a chuckle and a smirk on the face. The eyes shifted back to normal blue ones that matched hair and its organized mess. Hands were in the pockets, and legs tightly together, figure still tall and nimble like it was before. Tail danced and ears twitched, the smirk deepened as eyes widened and the two people backed up. For their stood Tsukiyomi Ikuto, perfectly fine, healthy and aged.

"Ikuto…" Utau said slowly, eyes shaking.

"Yo." He said simply, like he had in his teenage years.

"But…the fire…and…"Kukai said slowly, inching down towards the bat again.

"I know about all that." Ikuto said slowly his tail twitching. "Don't ask me how I got out though, cause I don't really remember."

Utau blinked at the new found information in front of her. She could still only manage his name at the time, and that was about it. She knew Kukai was reaching for the bat again, but she was too busy trying to but the last three years together. Ikuto was dead, or that's what he wanted the world to think, or that what her brain told her. Her step-father had barely escaped the fire; he had developed a fear of Ikuto, black cats, and fires. He ended up going crazy and his position was offered to her, she had taken it, but the company didn't need her much so she just checked in.

Ikuto had been first in line for the position, seemed their step-father had figured he needed some respect if he died, but then again maybe he thought he would be dead before him. Three years ago that was true, but five minutes ago it was one the cruelest, fattest, lowest lies she had ever heard. Ikuto was alive, either that or she was dreaming, just like Amu had the night before.

"So you escaped." Kukai said in his pissed of tone, Utau had rarely heard it, but it was usually used towards someone who had hurt his friends, or done something he didn't approve of. Ikuto nodded, knowing the voice a little better then his sister. Kukai rested the bat on his shoulder, his eyes hidden behind his hair. "You lied about you death!" Kukai lunged forward. "Do you know how much pain that's caused some people!"

The attack was stopped dead, the bat held tightly in Ikuto's hand. Kukai was glaring at Ikuto, who was looking at the floor. Amu may have been the only one who could read his hidden feelings, but Ikuto's feelings were out on display. His grip on the bat tightened, of all things he would not break down, he could do anything else but break down.

"Do you know how much pain it's caused?!" Kukai snapped again, the grip tightened, both Utau and Kukai could see it. He was fighting the answer, fighting the break down, finding the pain they didn't know, the one that hurt more then anything else at the time. Kukai let go of the bat with a small shove, he looked at the floor as well. "Utau-chan, you should get Amu's things."

Utau nodded, slowly leaving the living room area. She quickly grabbed what she thought Amu would need, and hurried back to find Kukai by the door, Ikuto sitting hadn't moved. Kukai left for the car when he saw her, giving her a small smile before leaving. Utau slowly made her way after him, finding Ikuto wasn't going to talk.

"Oi, Utau." She heard him say right as her hand met the doorknob.

"Yeah, Ikuto?" She turned, he still hadn't moved, however his fists were quested, he was holding the bat still though.

"Don't…don't tell Amu…please." He said lowly, she smiled slightly and nodded.

"I won't, and I'll make sure Kukai doesn't either." Utau said opening to the door and heading out. "This is something you should tell her." The door closed and Utau hurried of to the car.

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[Ikuto's POV]

The door clicked closed, and I feel to my knees, staring blankly at the world in front of me. I dropped the bat and it rolled away. Slowly I sunk to the floor; I never remembered feeling so numb. Was in that half awake, half asleep numbness like before, where I watched but didn't feel a thing. I had been woken up a while back; I wanted to back to that, now.

My eyes were wide, I could feel it, and I was shaking, though I didn't know what I was doing, I just knew I wasn't feeling any emotion. Maybe I was it was just so much that it felt like nothing. I didn't want to lie any more, I didn't want to have to worry about getting found out, I didn't want to have the reality I was in.

Utau was right, I needed to tell Amu. I couldn't intoxicate her with a dream like reality, I had to make it straight forward. I was afraid, a lot more afraid then what I normally would be. I was afraid of losing her, she lost me, I didn't want to lose her. I was fearful of what could await me, remembering that fate had never been so giving to me. Then again I had woken up unharmed, some mystery I needed to figure out.

"Amu," Her name left my lips without warning and I sloped to the side falling on the back of the coach. I don't remember when I feel asleep, but I did.

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_Please RXR_


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